2-16-10

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BE IT REMEMBERED that a regular meeting of the White County Council was held at the White County Building at Monticello at 9:00 A.M. on February 16, 2010 for the purpose of discussing the additional appropriations and other business that might come before the membership.

Council President Richard Horton called the Council meeting to order in joint session with the Commissioners. The following members were present:

Richard G Horton Kevin L Crabb Gary W Hendryx

Dennis E Carter Bruce D Clear Raymond L Kramer Jr

Dennis D Cain

For content of joint session, see Commissioners’ minutes.

MINUTES

Councilor Carter made a motion to accept the January 18, 2010 minutes. Councilor Kramer seconded the motion. Vote: Unanimous

Councilor Clear made a motion to accept the January 18, 2010 special minutes. Councilor Cain seconded the motion. Vote: Unanimous

Secretary Nydegger said Council President Horton had asked her to correct the second sentence under "Road to Fairgrounds" to read "He thinks an additional half a million will need to come out of the Vera Sun Account." And the next to last sentence on page one to change "had already" to "has not."

Councilor Carter made a motion to accept the February 1, 2010 minutes with the changes. Councilor Kramer seconded the motion. Vote: Unanimous

ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE County Council of White County, Indiana that for the expenses of said Municipal Corporation the following additional sums of money are hereby appropriated and set apart out of the fund. Herein specified and subject to the laws governing the same.

Auditor Guingrich said this money has been received from the Wind Farm. Councilor Clear made a motion to appropriate the above additional from Horizon Wind Economic Development Fund. Vote: Unanimous

REQUESTEDALLOWED

WHITE COUNTY GENERAL FUND

Agricultural Association $ 35,000.00 $ 35,000.00

Council on Aging $ 11,500.00 $ 11,500.00

Comprehensive Development Center $ 52,530.00 $ 52,530.00

Wolcott Ambulance $ 25,000.00 $ 25,000.00

__________ __________

TOTAL $124,030.00 $124,030.00

Councilor Kramer made a motion to appropriate the above amounts from the Rainy Day Fund (not as a loan to be paid back). Councilor Crabb seconded the motion.

Vote: Unanimous

Auditor Guingrich reported the State Board of Accounts said the County Council can decide how they choose to pay Ms. Pagels, so long as it is retroactive to January 1, 2010. Auditor Guingrich said Ms. Pagels’ 2010 paychecks have been figured without loss of pay and without H1N1 pay during regular County hours. The H1N1 amount has been applied only to overtime hours.

Councilor Clear does not want to change something previously approved. Auditor Guingrich said there was no official approval. Ms. Pagels turns in her own time sheet and Health Department Head Rusinek turns it in. Ms. Rusinek said she has no authority over Ms. Pagels’ time sheet or pay. Ms. Rusinek informed her of the change on the first payroll of 2010. Councilor Clear said she needs to work County hours first at County wages, and draw from the grant money during overtime hours. He said the grant money is meant to supplement the pay, not to supplant it.

The grant is a set amount and claims are reimbursed.

Auditor Guingrich said the pay scale for the H1N1 grant money was figured similarly to how the Sheriff’s Department’s are figured. Councilor Kramer said the overtime pay from a grant should be the same amount as the employee’s overtime pay from the County. He said the Council worked a long time to come up with a matrix system, and those pay scales should be adhered to. He said there’s no reason to use a different pay scale because it’s a grant. It’s no wonder she wants to turn in hours from the grant instead of the County. Auditor Guingrich said the County pays regular pay until 40 hours are met. More than 40 hours are at time and a half. She said they originally tried to pay her at the County overtime rate, but the Health Board wanted her to be paid more. She said there is nothing in the handbook to address wages paid through a grant. Council President Horton said there are two issues. Councilor Cain said we should deal with Ms. Pagels’ pay now, and make a decision on future grant wages later. Everyone was in agreement.

Health Department Head Rusinek said although she will be retiring on March 1, 2010, she will still be around for training and consulting. She said her pay will come through the H1N1 Grant and the Tobacco Settlement Fund. Councilors expressed best wishes for her retirement and congratulations to Linda Taff, her replacement.

Councilor Clear made a motion stating: Retroactive to January 1, 2010 and effective hereafter, all White County employees will have their regular 35-hour-week wages and salaries paid from the normally budgeted and allocated White County funding. However,once the regular hours have been met, if these employees then work additional overtime hours, and these hours could be paid for by associated grant funding, these overtime hours will be paid for from the specified grant money. Councilor Cain seconded the motion. Vote: Unanimous

GENERAL FUND LOANS

Treasurer Geisler said there will be a County CD available on March 3, 2010 that could be used to pay back general fund loans. She thought it might be helpful to use it now since CDs earn very little interest these days. President Horton asked if it might be better to use it toward the schools that have to borrow at high interest rates since the County has funds to borrow from interest free. Auditor Guingrich said the schools have received advances from the County to work with. Treasurer Geisler said there are different accounts tied to special interest CDs, but a $500,000.00 CD will be available in March for general fund use. Ms. Guingrich said there is a total of $4.9 million of County money in "Total Monies" CDs that are not tied to special interest CDs. Auditor Guingrich and Ms. Mickey Jaimes in the Treasurer’s Office have been begging and borrowing from all these funds not knowing when they’ll be paid back. Ms. Guingrich said the money in this CD has been there at least all the years Ms. Jaimes has worked for the County and there’s never been any money added or taken away from it. Ms. Guingrich said it could be used to pay back some of the loans, and some could go into the general fund to be used towards the schools or wherever it’s needed. Treasurer Geisler said she would prefer the money be used to pay back loans. Councilor Horton would like to know the origin of the money in that CD. Councilor Cain asked if State Board of Accounts would have any input on the subject. Councilor Carter said Tri County School and Frontier School will be receiving big checks very shortly. Auditor Guingrich said Twin Lakes is doing all right. There is uncertainty about where North White School stands.

Treasurer Geisler said taxes are paid to the lock box, and the lock box sends it electronically to State Bank of Burnettsville, but they are not wanting the money because they don’t feel they can use it the way they would like to. She said State Bank of Burnettsville also takes care of most of the CDs because they give the highest interest. Ms. Geisler recently transferred $750,000 into a sweep account with Lafayette Bank & Trust. That same amount can continue to be transferred into a sweep account approximately every four weeks if the Council felt this is a good move to make. The money in the sweep account goes nightly into the highest interest bearing account, and is readily available to use. Councilor Horton thought this might be another question for the State Board of Accounts.

President Horton said an Umbaugh report showed the interest put into the general fund from the Countys’ accounts in 2006 was over a million dollars, and in 2007 was just under a million.

INDIANA COUNTY COUNCIL ASSOCIATION

President Horton said the membership dues for the Indiana County Council Association are $20.00 per Councilor that comes out of the Commissioners’ Budget.

COMMISSIONERS’ BUDGET

Auditor Guingrich said in following up from the February 1, 2010 meeting, she put together figures based on last year’s claims. She has prepared an additional appropriation to be advertised for March to cover the rest of the bigger obligations for January, February, and March of $336,607. She said April, May, and June’s larger obligations totaled $88,523; July, August, and September $402,330; October, November, and December $92,523. President Horton requested an updated fund report to know where to take the money from. Ms. Guingrich will advertise for the March meeting and prepare the fund report as well.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to bring before the Council, Councilor Kramer made a motion to adjourn. Councilor Carter seconded the motion. Vote: Unanimous